Will Sherlock Holmes 3 ever happen? Jared Harris gives a grim update

James Moriarty has a disappointing update about his latest run-in with Detective Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock Holmes 3. The update comes from actor Jared Harris, who played Sherlock's arch-nemesis in Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011). Harris currently stars in the Apple TV+ series Foundation as Hari Seldon.

Before the premiere of its upcoming third season, The Direct asked him questions about the show and his other roles. That's when he spoke about Sherlock Holmes 3.

“Yeah. I mean, I keep taking that down [on IMDb] and someone keeps putting it back up. I have no idea. No one’s talking to me about it. And I really wish people would stop asking me … It should be on there. I mean, no one’s talking to me about it. I have no clue,” Harris said.

This means it's unclear whether Harris will be in the cast of the third installment, which is supposed to bring back Robert Downey Jr. as the titular detective and Jude Law as John H. Watson. Harris doesn't share a disappointing update about the film but sheds doubt about his involvement in the project.

That's particularly unfortunate because Moriarty is one of the most fascinating characters from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. So, it would be a shame to see him not be a part of a potential threequel. Harris is also one of the brightest actors of his generation, having garnered fame and acclaim through his work in projects like Mad Men, Chernobyl, and The Crown. So, a Sherlock Holmes project feels inconceivable.

While Harris may not be a part of the cast, viewers might still be wondering: Will Sherlock Holmes 3 ever happen? Let's find out the latest updates.

Will Sherlock Holmes 3 ever happen? Here's what we know

A still from Sherlock Holmes 2 (Image via Warner Bros. Entertainment)

Since the sequel was released in 2011, there have been discussions about Sherlock Holmes 3. However, reports suggest that it took seven years to receive a potential release date. It was expected to come out by the end of 2020, but those plans unfortunately didn't pan out. During this time, we received a few updates about its development and an overall creative direction.

One of these updates came from Guy Ritchie, who directed the first two installments. In February 2023, he told Collider,

"Well, honestly, I left this up to Robert [Downey Jr.]. So Robert wanted to be in charge of this. The ball's in his court, so he's in charge of the script, he's in charge of the whole thing. I've moonwalked out of that until there's a time for me to get involved."

Later, in June 2024, producer Susan Downey shared another update.

“Every day we talk about, 'What is the best next version of that?' Anytime I see Robert and Jude [Law] together, which fortunately, I do get to see a few times a year, we hang out, and I’m just like, ‘Can I get these guys back on screen together?’ It’s magic. There needs to be a really strong reason, it needs to be a great story, and we do have some things in the works.”

Based on these updates, Sherlock Holmes 3 seems to still be on the table. It's only a matter of time before we get to witness it in person.